Any experience of moving the air filter on a 450?

[JMF894]

I spoke the Richard today at RT Racing ( i bought some new springs for the rear ) and he suggested that a good mod for a 450 would be to fit a Griff 500 air filter ( not a panel filter obviously ) and move it down towards the bottom of the engine bay to get away from the hot air from the engine. Now i understand the benefits of cooler air entering the plenum but what i want to know is has anyone actually carried out such a mod on an otherwise standard 450 and if so what was the effect?

Jimbo

[Campbell]

Is there not a route to make the filter fit infront of the rad, i dont think i can do this on the SEAC so ive made up a simple sheld for the filter and have been using a temp sensor to see what the temp dfference is at different speeds.

I dont think i would want to put the filter down near the bottom of the engine bay in the path of water and dirt but it will pick up a lot of cool air.

Cambelt

[broadside]

I know Richard did this modification to his 450SE when he had one many years ago. In fact he wrote an article about it in the TVR Sprint Magazine too. I may still have the article somewhere. I'll have a look for you but don't expect a quick reply as I've got loads of the magazines to get through!!

[broadside]

Found it. December 1994 Article. I'll scan it later and put it on here.

[JMF894]

broadside said:

Found it. December 1994 Article. I'll scan it later and put it on here.

Top man!

[broadside]

Got them scanned but having problems posting them. Send me an email and I'll fire them over to you.

Edited by broadside on Friday 21st October 12:25

[jmorgan]

Mine lives just behind the wheel arch under the bonnet.

Edit Piccy here

Edited by jmorgan on Tuesday 18th October 16:22

[Mr Tank]

Campbell said:

Is there not a route to make the filter fit infront of the rad, i dont think i can do this on the SEAC so ive made up a simple sheld for the filter and have been using a temp sensor to see what the temp dfference is at different speeds.

I dont think i would want to put the filter down near the bottom of the engine bay in the path of water and dirt but it will pick up a lot of cool air.

Cambelt

Hi

Funny thing is the very early 350i had there air cleaner right down at the front left hand bottom of the rad, lots of cool air but a very small air cleaner inlet!


Andy

[pwd95]

jmorgan said:

Mine lives just behind the wheel arch under the bonnet.

Edit Piccy here

Edited by jmorgan on Tuesday 18th October 16:22

Might do this mod myself. . Interesting to see the expansion tank still there too.

[jmorgan]

Old piccy, new tank is there now with the catch tank.

[JMF894]

jmorgan said:

Mine lives just behind the wheel arch under the bonnet.

Edit Piccy here

Edited by jmorgan on Tuesday 18th October 16:22

How come your alternator is there? Mines the other side. Are you getting much more cooler air with the filter there?

Does the length of the pipe between the filter and the flapper unit make any difference?

Jimbo

[jmorgan]

Range rover engine regards position of stuff. I understand it does pick up cooler air there but the preferred was an air box down the front or under the screen somewhere. Funds and time put the mockers on it when it was being rebuilt.

Edit, I cannot answer the pipe length, it is a hot wire but the alternator scuppered my options somewhat.

Edited by jmorgan on Tuesday 18th October 16:59

[mrzigazaga]

JMF894 said:

Does the length of the pipe between the filter and the flapper unit make any difference?

Hi Mate...I do believe that a short ram air pipe does help the air to be delivered quicker but to be more effective ideally it would have a cold air feed coming up from the front and sit just in front of the filter..Or the filter nearer the front..(If room) and maybe one of these turbo fans to help force the air in..Not sure how efficient they are..The ideal solution would be to house the filter in an air box that marries up on the bonnet vent..Engine bay temperatures are a factor for peformance and if you can reduce engine bay temperatures then you will feel the increase in power,Although it wont be massive..Exhaust lagging and heat sheilds also help..I know a lot of this is contraversal but cold dense air helps fuel burn more efficiently..
http://www.google.co.uk/aclk?sa=L&ai=CJ69_9qOd...

[broadside]

Jimbo YHM.

Hope the pics are ok.

Nige'

[JMF894]

Thanks Nige'

Just the job

Jimbo

[Oz2]

Hi all
I have a theory on this, weather it will work is another thing........
On the sx the air filter is right behind the very HOT plenum connected directly to an upside-down flapper afm.
So I am told the cool air is drawn down over the lip at the top of the bonnet thus providing the filter with cool air. Now I am heading into an Aussie summer (sorry chaps) and the temps are going to be around 40 degrees so I need more cool air.
My first move is going to be making a shield to try to isolate the air filter from the hot engine bay only leaving the top section open for the cool air over the bonnet, I'm thinking of making this out of fiberglass as it should insutate the filter from the hot air, I think ally would just get too hot and defeat the object, your thoughts on this would be welcome.
My next move, as an experiment is, the two air intakes on the SE front spoiler just inside the driving lights, remove the silly ridged tubing which provides not a lot of air to the outside air vents on the dash......and replace it with a larger ID silicone pipe (nice and smooth inside for a better volume of air) run this via the same route into the engine bay but then to the fibre glass air filter box so it is getting forced cold air from the front and cold air over the bonnet......
As I said this is only a theory, I think I have mentioned it before but I would appreciate your input, for or against .....
Cheers
Adam

[barrington]

hi nige any chance you can email the details aswell cheers

[JR]

broadside said:

I know Richard did this modification to his 450SE when he had one many years ago. In fact he wrote an article about it in the TVR Sprint Magazine too.

Yes he did. But he was very worried about this:-

Campbell said:

I dont think i would want to put the filter down near the bottom of the engine bay in the path of water and dirt

so he changed it back pretty quickly.

(Was that really nearly twenty years ago? I have a nice video of Richard driving that 450SE - he didn't hang about.)

[broadside]

Barrington

Send me an email and I'll send it asap.

Cheers

Nige'

Edited by broadside on Friday 21st October 12:25

[JR]

Oz2 said:

Hi all
I have a theory on this, weather it will work is another thing........
On the sx the air filter is right behind the very HOT plenum connected directly to an upside-down flapper afm.
So I am told the cool air is drawn down over the lip at the top of the bonnet thus providing the filter with cool air. Now I am heading into an Aussie summer (sorry chaps) and the temps are going to be around 40 degrees so I need more cool air.
My first move is going to be making a shield to try to isolate the air filter from the hot engine bay only leaving the top section open for the cool air over the bonnet, I'm thinking of making this out of fiberglass as it should insutate the filter from the hot air, I think ally would just get too hot and defeat the object, your thoughts on this would be welcome.
My next move, as an experiment is, the two air intakes on the SE front spoiler just inside the driving lights, remove the silly ridged tubing which provides not a lot of air to the outside air vents on the dash......and replace it with a larger ID silicone pipe (nice and smooth inside for a better volume of air) run this via the same route into the engine bay but then to the fibre glass air filter box so it is getting forced cold air from the front and cold air over the bonnet......
As I said this is only a theory, I think I have mentioned it before but I would appreciate your input, for or against .....
Cheers
Adam

Bit hard to follow buy nthe general idea sounds good. A venturi vent in the bonnet would probably be best but people seem reluctant to change the bonnet.